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The 12 Business Days of Christmas…

We are quickly approaching the end of another year. It is important to complete some tasks in order to be ready for the New Year. This list represents 12 things that should be done by the end of the year to get your Business New Year off to a running start.

1. Update your Bio, Resume and Media Kit – Go through and update these items with fresh information. Have someone else look it over for a second opinion. Be sure to add achievements from the past year: awards, recommendations, new major clients, milestones, etc. Make sure you have electronic copies of these items available at all times. Invest in a great publicist.

2. Photo Shoot – It’s time to show the updated you! Chances are you have changed a bite in the past year or even if you haven’t, now is a great time to get new photo’s done. Be sure to have them done professionally and have more than one look. (The standard corporate look and something more business casual). Ladies, be sure to have your make up professionally done.

3. Revisions and New Editions – Now is a good time to make revisions to the book and bring out a new edition. Update new items that did not sale well in the past year and repackage with a different look to generate sales.

4. Update Pricing – check out the pricing for your products. Research your sales for the year. Are there some items you should decrease in price? Should you increase your price on the new items or new editions? Be sure to research what your competition is doing and set prices accordingly.

Never under price – especially when you are providing a service. Price moderate to high because you can always give someone a discount but you can never ask for more after they know your price.

5. Update Website, Social Media and Print Media – Change out pictures, information and flash presentations. Spruce up your site with videos. Also make sure all of your social media is in sync and relaying the same message. Include a lead capture form on your site to help build your list. If you already have one, update the free give-a-way with something new.

This is also a good time to overhaul your stationary and business cards if necessary.

6. Budget – review your current year budget and finalize the budget for next year. Be sure to have an appropriate amount of funds set aside for marketing.

7. Contact/Customer Update – Be sure to make a backup copy of each. Also, start to think about a plan of attack to double your customer list over the next year. Invest in an automatic contact system to better stay in touch with your clients/customers.

8. Email Update – Get rid of accounts that have continuously bounced back. Send out an email requesting updated information: new business, new contact information, new positions or new jobs. Include any of your updates in the outgoing email. Be sure to unsubscribe to anything that you are not reading. Create folders to store emails that you want to keep.

Also, be sure to update your signature line in your email account. You want to make sure that you have your name, title, contact numbers, email address and website. Be sure to include linked in, face book, twitter and blog accounts listed as links for easy access.

9. Clean Out and Backup – Go through your computer files and delete unwanted documents, consolidate folders, clear the desktop of clutter. Try to do a backup monthly to ensure that you don’t lose vital information.

10. Shred It – Scan this year’s invoices, statements, receipts, contracts etc and shred the original. For those must have originals, scan and store in one place and be sure that key people are aware of the location. Try to do this on a monthly basis. This will save space.

11. It’s Tax Time– Gather all the information you will need to send to the accountant after the New Year. W2 and 1099 information must be mailed by January 31st so make sure you have all social security numbers and EIN’s for those individuals that received over $600 for the year. There will be a few documents that you need to add after the New Year, but everything else will be together and the transition will be simple.

12. Create and Organize – Create new file folders and update and organize your filing system. Go into the New Year well organized and maintain the organization throughout the year.